Do you remember back when VHS was still a new thing? VCRs and VHS tapes were so incredibly expensive that a lot of us wouldn’t even own a VCR for ourselves. We’d have to go rent one whenever we wanted to watch Ghostbusters again. This could be a hassle. It meant not only paying the rental fee, but oftentimes, coming up with the cash for a deposit.
It was a pain, but what were you gonna do, spend a thousand bucks on a VCR of your own and buy a tape for around a hundred?
In twenty years, our kids are probably going to laugh at us for the fact that some of us used to actually rent computers.
Luckily, computers have become cheap enough that you don’t really need to rent a computer for basic use. The only instances where we have to rent a laptop are instances where, say, we’re travelling, and all we have for our primary computer is a desktop. Or maybe you just have to play Gears of War 2 right now, and simply can’t wait until you can afford a new, up to date laptop of your own.
So, back to the original question (sorry if I ramble a bit here and there), is renting a computer worth the time, money, and effort that goes into it?
The quickest way to answer this is to say: Not if you have a friend who can loan you a good laptop, but you probably already thought of that, and that’s why you’re reading this right now.
Now, if you absolutely need to rent a laptop, then you absolutely need to rent a laptop, so you can close this article right now and know what you’re doing. If you only need the computer on a temporary basis, renting is your best bet.
For everyone else, you might be better advised to just put that money into your bank account (or coffee can), and wait until you have enough to buy the computer of your dreams. See, depending on who you rent from, you might be spending anywhere from fifty dollars to a few hundred for a week’s rental. Most rental places will also ask for a deposit, and there’s this whole ordeal regarding identity checks, credit checks, getting people to vouch for you, loads of paperwork and on and on.
So the final verdict: If it’s an emergency, if you need it for work, if you’re travelling, renting a computer can be a life saver. If you don’t need to rent the computer, it does tend to be a bit more hassle than it’s worth.
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